英语演讲稿:Adopting the Declaration of Human Rights是一篇经典的英语演讲稿，你可以先模仿，然后融会贯通
eleanorroosevelt
ontheadoptionoftheuniversaldeclarationofhumanrights
delivered9december1948inparis,france
演讲者简介：安娜·埃莉诺·罗斯福(annaeleanorroosevelt，1884年10月11日-1962年11月7日)，美国第32任总统富兰克林·德拉诺·罗斯福的妻子，曾为美国第一夫人。第二次世界大战后她出任美国首任驻联合国大使，并主导起草了联合国的“世界人权宣言”。她是女性主义者，亦大力提倡保护人权。
mr.president,fellowdelegates:
thelongandmeticulousstudyanddebateofwhichthisuniversaldeclarationofhumanrightsistheproductmeansthatitreflectsthecompositeviewsofthemanymenandgovernmentswhohavecontributedtoitsformulation.noteverymannoreverygovernmentcanhavewhathewantsinadocumentofthiskind.thereareofcourseparticularprovisionsinthedeclarationbeforeuswithwhichwearenotfullysatisfied.ihavenodoubtthisistrueofotherdelegations,anditwouldstillbetrueifwecontinuedourlaborsovermanyyears.takenasawholethedelegationoftheunitedstatesbelievesthatthisisagooddocument--evenagreatdocument--andweproposetogiveitourfullsupport.thepositionoftheunitedstatesonthevariouspartsofthedeclarationisamatterofrecordinthethirdcommittee.ishallnotburdentheassembly,andparticularlymycolleaguesofthethirdcommittee,witharestatementofthatpositionhere.
ishouldliketocommentbrieflyontheamendmentsproposedbythesovietdelegation.thelanguageoftheseamendmentshasbeendressedupsomewhat,butthesubstanceisthesameastheamendmentswhichwereofferedbythesovietdelegationincommitteeandrejectedafterexhaustivediscussion.substantiallythesameamendmentshavebeenpreviouslyconsideredandrejectedinthehumanrightscommission.weintheunitedstatesadmirethosewhofightfortheirconvictions,andthesovietdelegationhasfoughtfortheirconvictions.butintheolderdemocracieswehavelearnedthatsometimeswebowtothewillofthemajority.indoingthat,wedonotgiveupourconvictions.wecontinuesometimestopersuade,andeventuallywemaybesuccessful.butweknowthatwehavetoworktogetherandwehavetoprogress.so,webelievethatwhenwehavemadeagoodfight,andthemajorityisagainstus,itisperhapsbettertacticstotrytocooperate.
ifeelboundtosaythatithinkperhapsitissomewhatofanimpositiononthisassemblytohavetheseamendmentsofferedagainhere,andiamconfidentthattheywillberejectedwithoutdebate.
thefirsttwoparagraphsoftheamendmenttoarticle3dealwiththequestionofminorities,whichcommittee3decidedrequiredfurtherstudy,andhasrecommended,inaseparateresolution,theirreferencetotheeconomicandsocialcouncilandthehumanrightscommission.assetoutinthesovietamendment,thisprovisionclearlystates"group,"andnot"individual,"rights.
thesovietamendmenttoarticle20isobviouslyaveryrestrictivestatementoftherighttofreedomofopinionandexpression.itsetsupstandardswhichwouldenableanystatepracticallytodenyallfreedomofopinionandexpressionwithoutviolatingthearticle.itintroducestheterms"democraticview,""democraticsystems,""democraticstate,"and"fascism,"whichweknowalltoowellfromdebatesinthisassemblyoverthepasttwoyearsonwarmongeringandrelatedsubjectsareliabletothemostflagrantabuseanddiverseinterpretations.
thestatementofthesovietdelegateheretonightisaverygoodcaseinpointonthis.thesovietamendmentofarticle22introducesnewelementsintothearticlewithoutimprovingthecommittedtextandagainintroducesspecificreferenceto"discrimination."aswasrepeatedlypointedoutincommittee3,thequestionofdiscriminationiscomprehensivelycoveredinarticle2ofthedeclaration,sothatitsrestatementelsewhereiscompletelyunnecessaryandalsohastheeffectofweakeningthecomprehensiveprinciplesstatedinarticle2.thenewarticleproposedbythesovietdelegationisbutarestatementofstateobligation,whichthesovietdelegationattemptedtointroduceintopracticallyeveryarticleinthedeclaration.itwouldconvertthedeclarationintoadocumentstatingobligationsonstates,therebychangingcompletelyitscharacterasastatementofprinciplestoserveasacommonstandardofachievementforthemembersoftheunitednations.
thesovietproposalfordeferringconsiderationofthedeclarationtothe4thsessionoftheassemblyrequiresnocomment.anidenticaltextwasrejectedincommittee3byavoteof6infavorand26against.weareallagreed,iamsure,thatthedeclaration,whichhasbeenworkedonwithsuchgreateffortanddevotion,andoversuchalongperiodoftime,mustbeapprovedbythisassemblyatthissession.
certainprovisionsofthedeclarationarestatedinsuchbroadtermsastobeacceptableonlybecauseoftheprovisionsinarticle30providingforlimitationontheexerciseoftherightsforthepurposeofmeetingtherequirementsofmorality,publicorder,andthegeneralwelfare.anexampleofthisistheprovisionthateveryonehastherighttoequalaccesstothepublicserviceinhiscountry.thebasicprincipleofequalityandofnondiscriminationastopublicemploymentissound,butitcannotbeacceptedwithoutlimitation.mygovernment,forexample,wouldconsiderthatthisisunquestionablysubjecttolimitationintheinterestofpublicorderandthegeneralwelfare.itwouldnotconsiderthattheexclusionfrompublicemploymentofpersonsholdingsubversivepoliticalbeliefsandnotloyaltothebasicprinciplesandpracticesoftheconstitutionandlawsofthecountrywouldinanywayinfringeuponthisright.
likewise,mygovernmenthasmadeitclearinthecourseofthedevelopmentofthedeclarationthatitdoesnotconsiderthattheeconomicandsocialandculturalrightsstatedinthedeclarationimplyanobligationongovernmentstoassuretheenjoymentoftheserightsbydirectgovernmentalaction.thiswasmadequiteclearinthehumanrightscommissiontextofarticle23whichservedasaso-called"umbrella"articletothearticlesoneconomicandsocialrights.weconsiderthattheprinciplehasnotbeenaffectedbythefactthatthisarticlenolongercontainsareferencetothearticleswhichfollowit.thisinnowayaffectsourwhole-heartedsupportforthebasicprinciplesofeconomic,social,andculturalrightssetforthinthesearticles.
ingivingourapprovaltothedeclarationtodayitisofprimaryimportancethatwekeepclearlyinmindthebasiccharacterofthedocument.itisnotatreaty;itisnotaninternationalagreement.itisnotanddoesnotpurporttobeastatementoflaworoflegalobligation.itisadeclarationofbasicprinciplesofhumanrightsandfreedoms,tobestampedwiththeapprovalofthegeneralassemblybyformalvoteofitsmembers,andtoserveasacommonstandardofachievementforallpeoplesofallnations.
westandtodayatthethresholdofagreateventbothinthelifeoftheunitednationsandinthelifeofmankind.thisuniversaldeclarationofhumanrightsmaywellbecometheinternationalmagnacartaofallmeneverywhere.wehopeitsproclamationbythegeneralassemblywillbeaneventcomparabletotheproclamationofthedeclarationoftherightsofmanbythefrenchpeoplein1789,theadoptionofthebillofrightsbythepeopleoftheunitedstates,andtheadoptionofcomparabledeclarationsatdifferenttimesinothercountries.
atatimewhentherearesomanyissuesonwhichwefinditdifficulttoreachacommonbasisofagreement,itisasignificantfactthat58stateshavefoundsuchalargemeasureofagreementinthecomplexfieldofhumanrights.thismustbetakenastestimonyofourcommonaspirationfirstvoicedinthecharteroftheunitednationstoliftmeneverywheretoahigherstandardoflifeandtoagreaterenjoymentoffreedom.man’sdesireforpeaceliesbehindthisdeclaration.therealizationthattheflagrantviolationofhumanrightsbynaziandfascistcountriessowedtheseedsofthelastworldwarhassuppliedtheimpetusfortheworkwhichbringsustothemomentofachievementheretoday.
inarecentspeechincanada,gladstonemurraysaid:
thecentralfactisthatmanisfundamentallyamoralbeing,thatthelightwehaveisimperfectdoesnotmattersolongaswearealwaystryingtoimproveit…weareequalinsharingthemoralfreedomthatdistinguishesusasmen.man’sstatusmakeseachindividualanendinhimself.nomanisbynaturesimplytheservantofthestateorofanotherman…theidealandfactoffreedom--andnottechnology--arethetruedistinguishingmarksofourcivilization.
thisdeclarationisbaseduponthespiritualfactthatmanmusthavefreedominwhichtodevelophisfullstatureandthroughcommonefforttoraisethelevelofhumandignity.wehavemuchtodotofullyachieveandtoassuretherightssetforthinthisdeclaration.buthavingthemputbeforeuswiththemoralbackingof58nationswillbeagreatstepforward.
asweherebringtofruitionourlaborsonthisdeclarationofhumanrights,wemustatthesametimerededicateourselvestotheunfinishedtaskwhichliesbeforeus.wecannowmoveonwithnewcourageandinspirationtothecompletionofaninternationalcovenantonhumanrightsandofmeasuresfortheimplementationofhumanrights.
inconclusion,ifeelthaticannotdobetterthantorepeatthecalltoactionbysecretarymarshallinhisopeningstatementtothisassembly:
letthisthirdregularsessionofthegeneralassemblyapprovebyanoverwhelmingmajoritythedeclarationofhumanrightsasastandardofconductforall;andletus,asmembersoftheunitednations,consciousofourownshort-comingsandimperfections,joinoureffortingoodfaithtoliveuptothishighstandard.
文章